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When I go to bed at night, my mind won't stop turning, and all the concerns of the day whirl through my head. I toss and turn and look at the clock every hour as it gets later and later. What can I do?
Here's a helpful rule of thumb: If it takes you more than 30 minutes to fall asleep you may be suffering anxiety. If you have trouble staying asleep, your problem may be depression.
It's amazing that we are designed us in such a way that we spend one third of our lives asleep. To those of us who are task-oriented, it seems like a waste of time.
God intended sleep to help maintain and heal our bodies and minds. Long-term sleep deprivation can produce serious mental and emotional effects. It is important to maintain healthy sleep habits to avoid excessive stress, mental exhaustion, physical exhaustion and burnout. Sleeping aids can be helpful in the short-term, but sometimes cause a drugged sleep rather than a restful one. You can also become more dependent on them as their effectiveness lessens over time.
Try some of these tricks that have helped others:
1. Think about light-hearted things when you go to bed. Do not plan out tomorrow.
2. Avoid a heavy meal, caffeine, tobacco and alcohol before you go to bed.
3. Take a hot bath, listen to soothing music and practice deep breathing and relaxation before you go to bed. Excessive worry about sleep problems actually can cause more sleep problems. The worry will keep you awake. Pray about problems instead of worrying. I have a relative, who at age l04 was asked to what she attributed her long life. She said, "I do not worry!"
